Free Art Friday in San Miguel.

A new art movement is taking over San Miguel de Allende. It is the San Miguel branch of the Free Art Friday Project which was started in England about 10 years ago.

Every Friday a group of local artists, some American, some Canadian and some Mexican, do “art drops” of their work in various places throughout the city. It could be a photo, a piece of jewelry, an encaustic work, a hand-lettered message, a collage, a greeting card, a drawing, a monotype or an oil painting. It is whatever the artist wishes to give free to the community on that day. The idea behind the Project is very simple: Leave your art any place in town with a sign on it saying “Free Art Friday, if you like it, please take it,” in English and Spanish. The joy is in the giving, and knowing that someone in your community has fallen for a piece of your work.

We ask any local artists to join us. You don’t need to put out something large or expensive, in fact the movement began with street artists. You can attach your business card however, and you may hear from the finder of your work with a request to see more.

We have a tag to put on your work which is available to download from our Facebook page.

The first artist to gain recognition for leaving pieces of art on the streets for passersby to discover and take home for free, was My Dog Sighs, a British artist who began to pick up old food cans and return them to the street painted as little “Can Men.” You can find lots of his work and interviews with him online or go to our Facebook page.

At the same time there were street artists in other parts of the world with similar ideas and it wasn’t long before they all connected over the idea of creating the Free Art Friday Project.

An interview with the up-market art show in London, “The Culture Show,” and My Dog Sighs, as well as a video of him working on his cans, went viral on the internet and the idea spread.

All over the world, as far as Australia, Israel, Africa, England, Ireland and Germany, others have embraced the concept of just dropping small pieces of their art on the streets. Whether they do it for the freedom of letting go and the mystery of where the piece may end up, or they are fascinated by the process of a random person stumbling across their art and watching the reaction: Discovery? Guilt? Walking away then coming back? Ignoring? Or even throwing it away.

But there is no question that those who are delighted by the idea of giving away their art – without worrying where it will end up, and with hope that someone will find it and love it – are doing it for the pure pleasure of the act. The members of Free Art Friday in San Miguel are having a wonderful time and enjoying the process.

Everyone is welcome. Join us if you can. For more info please email, freeartfridaysma@gmail.com.